Wilier unveil 2011 Gran Turismo

We're a sucker for a good-looking bike here at road.cc. And while there are plenty of bikes that divide opinion looks-wise, we don't think this is going to be one of them. It's the new 2011 Wilier Gran Turismo – ain't she a beauty?

The name reflects the Italian tradition of luxury long distance sports cars of course. For a country with a long tradition of Granfondo riding, the Italians have generally been a little slow to embrace the more relaxed geometry of sportive bikes, but the GT is very much a sportive bike, albeit a performance one.

"The aim was to produce a high-performance frame that has the efficiency & stiffness of a high quality road race frame yet is easy to handle & comfortable over long distances", they tell us. "The frame is laterally stiff so it is safe & easy to descend on. It is ideal for Sportive/Granfondo riding but is definitely aimed at performance riders". Performance with comfort? Check. Laterally stiff but vertically compliant? Check.

Tech-wise the GT borrows its back end from the range-topping Cento 1, with asymetric seat stays. Up front, Wilier are using something they call Razor Edge design, which manifests itself as a series of sharp edges on the main triangle and semi-aero fork. Wilier claim this increases stiffness though we're not quite sure how. Cables go inside the frame but Wilier say they've spent a lot of time making the routes as easy to thread as possible.

Finishing kit is all from FSA; Wilier and FSA are thick as thieves, it seems, and all the bolt-ons are Wilier co-branded for a seamless look. The bike will be available with either Athena or Chorus in six sizes, and there are three finishes, red/white, red/blue and carbon. The bike will be available in the UK from September. No word on pricing yet, but it doesn't look like one you'll be scoring on Cyclescheme...

Dave is a founding father of road.cc and responsible for kicking the server when it breaks. In a previous life he was a graphic designer but he's also a three-time Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling world champion, and remains unbeaten through the bog. Dave rides all sorts of bikes but tends to prefer metal ones. He's getting old is why.